Just the Way You Look Tonight
by Downtonluvr
Summary: John tries to be helpful as Anna sorts through various outfits in an attempt to find the perfect dress for an evening out.


**A/N:_ You can all credit my good buddy a-lady-to-me for pushing me to do this one shot when I told her about this idea. She also helped to edit it for me. Just some A/U Anna and Bates fluff. Please enjoy and review :) _**

**Just the Way You Look Tonight**

John sat on their large bed with his dinner jacket on as he smoothed his tie into place, his eyes travelling over to the bathroom where his wife was getting ready for the evening. Anna had been working on her hair and makeup for nearly a half hour now so by his estimation she should be wrapping things up soon. He tried not to press her as he knew that this effort was more for his sake than her own, Anna only wanted to look spectacular for him. But one glance at his watch told him they were already twenty minutes late getting out the door, of course if they left now they could make it before they lost their reservations at the restaurant. He found it amusing that it had been her idea to go out for the evening and yet she was the one running late.

She put the finishing touches on one of her curls with the curling iron and shared a smile with him in the reflection of the mirror. She set the curler down and John began to tie his shoes, but came to an abrupt stop when he saw her begin toying with the idea of pinning her hair up instead of leaving it down. John let out a silent groan as he pretended to claw his eyes out with his hands. "Is there a problem love? Something I can help with perhaps?" John offered.

"You wouldn't be rushing your wife now would you, Mr. Bates?" she replied back playfully. This time she turned her body to face him as she stood in her silk robe and shot him a serious look.

"No. Absolutely not. Take your time," John began to retreat with his words.

Anna tried out the different hair styles, "Should I leave it up or down?"

"Um, either one. Doesn't matter," he replied.

"It doesn't matter?" she asked slightly offended.

"I didn't mean it that way, I just meant either one looks lovely. I don't have a preference," he explained calmly.

"Oh."

"I tell you what. Up. I like it up," he said in an effort to get them out of the door as quickly as possible.

"Do you like it up or love it up?"

"I love it up," he said enthusiastically.

Anna narrowed her eyes at him, "I think I'll go with down."

"Brilliant," he proclaimed. "So all you have to do now is change into whatever outfit you already picked out right?"

"Um, I didn't pick anything out yet. But it won't take long I promise," she said with a reassuring smile as she wandered off into their walk in closet.

John let his body slump back onto the bed and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Love. I hate to remind you but we were supposed to leave almost a half hour ago."

She called back to him from the other room. "I know I'll just be a moment longer. Can you call the restaurant and see about changing our reservations?"

He doubted that would even be possible but he humored her, "Sure." John whipped out his cell phone and began to do just that. He was connected with the hostess at the restaurant within a few moments he had convinced her to move some stuff around to squeeze them into a time slot in an hour. "Alright sweetheart, the time has been changed, do you think you'll be ready to go in the next half hour?"

"Hold on, I think I've got a dress picked out," she replied.

"Excellent," John responded.

Anna emerged from the closet wearing a dark blue satin dress that stopped just above her knees, accentuating her long legs. The dress clung to her figure perfectly and contrasted well with her skin tone. There was a lace trim around her the shoulders that revealed her neckline in the most enticing way and John couldn't tear his eyes away from her. "What do you think?" Anna replied as she smoothed the dress over her waistline.

John let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in, "You…you look incredible. That's the dress."

Anna smiled shyly at him. Although she was sure he meant it, she knew he was her husband and he'd say anything to make her happy. She watched how the corner of his eyes crinkled as he gazed at her lovingly, like he was under some sort of spell. Anna walked over to the mirror and gave herself a once over and turned back at him with a look of disatisfaction, "I don't know. I think it's too chesty." Anna commented as she waited for him to agree with her.

"Too chesty? I can't even see your breasts in that dress," he replied.

"Let me just try something else on, I think the black one would look better," Anna said as she retreated back to the closet.

John began to remove his jacket as he felt the heat rise in the room. He may as well hunker down now and pray for daylight. The odds of them getting out of here in time were not in his favor.

Anna came out a moment later and noted that John was now free of his jacket, "What are you doing? I'll be ready to go in a minute and you won't be ready."

"I'll be fine. It was just a little warm in here," he lied. John finally noticed what she was wearing, "Say, now that one looks very striking." He eyed her up and down in the slimming black taffeta dress. It had been one of his favorites since she'd worn it on one of their first dates.

"You think? I think it's too plain," she stated.

"I've always loved that dress on you."

"That's just it though, you've seen this dress on me too many times before. There's no color to make it pop," she added.

"Well you could wear one of your earrings that have some color in it," he suggested. "Or perhaps you can take your red scarf with you."

"You mean a wrap?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied with uncertainty. Whatever answer it took to get them out of the house is all he was seeking. "You'll look gorgeous in anything you choose love."

"I think I'm going to try something different," she said before traipsing back into the closet.

"Anna, please?" John begged. He waited patiently and tried to be mindful that this was just something all women did. When she came out again she had on a floor length dress that was beige and covered nearly every inch of her. It wasn't his favorite outfit but she managed to pull it off. "It's uh...it's um…" John scratched the back of his neck nervously, knowing he was being none too convincing.

"It's old fashioned and it makes me look like a prude doesn't it?" she asked, even though she already knew what he was thinking. They'd always been able to read another's thoughts.

"You a prude? I think you and I both know the heart of a racy mynx beats beneath that beige exterior," he said teasingly as he smiled charmingly at her.

Anna pursed her lips and grinned at him as her cheeks flushed pink. "Watch yourself, John Bates," she warned with a delightful smile that lit up his world. "Maybe I should go with the pink one," she offered. "You remember the one I'm talking about right?" she asked.

"Totally," he said without hesitation.

"You have no idea which one I'm talking about do you?"

"Not a clue," he replied quickly.

"You are insufferable, John." Anna walked back into the closet once more.

John looked over at the time and realized they were on the verge of missing their reservations yet again. His stomach grumbled out loud, reminding him of his need for food. John looked up when he heard Anna walked into the bedroom once more and saw how her hair was draped perfectly over the soft, pink fabric. She looked more angelic than he remembered the last time she wore it. The dress had a plunging neckline but not too revealing and her supple calves called out to him from across the room as she stood in her beige pumps. "You look...flawless," he said.

"I look pregnant," Anna replied as she snuck a glance at herself in the mirror.

John couldn't help but fall more in love with her at the sound of her words. Of course she had always been beautiful to him but his wife had never been more gorgeous to him than she did in that moment. "It's because you are pregnant," he answered back. John had a glimmer in his eyes and a beaming smile that took on a life of it's own. John extended his hand out for her to come closer to him and caressed her hand before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. She was glowing at six months pregnant and they had never known such happiness was possible than the day they found out Anna was expecting. He let his hand come to rest on the swell of her belly. "I could find you attractive in sweatpants and a hoodie. It doesn't matter your size. In fact, I love you all the more knowing that you are carrying our baby. I will never stop loving you, Anna. I'm almost certain that when our son arrives I will love you exponentially more as I see you become the mother you were always destined to be," John added before pressing a kiss to her expanding stomach.

Anna leaned over and let her lips enjoy the warmth of his mouth as their tongues tangled together. Her fingertips explored his hair that looked disheveled, probably because he'd been close to tearing it out as she made him wait through her parade of outfits. His hands on her hips felt incredible and John looked so devastatingly handsome sitting there in his suit. How had she been so lucky to find a man who looked at her with such favor etched on his face whenever their eyes met?

"We've probably missed our reservations now haven't we?" she asked feeling bad for ruining their evening.

John looked down at his watch and nodded in agreement. "We've never really been the type for going out though have we?"

"Are you saying you'd prefer a night in?"

"Whatever makes you happy my darling," he answered back.

"Perhaps a night in is better suited for us," she replied as she began undoing his tie.

It may not have been the evening they planned but as he lay there in her arms, John couldn't find it in him to complain. He had everything he'd ever wanted laying beside him. Their breaths finally fell in sync as their hearts settled back into a normal rhythm after their rather enjoyable and unforgettable night in. When John rose from the bed to go order their take away, he took a moment to look back at his flawless wife wrapped in sheets. "You can try on any dress in the world, but I think you look best in what you're wearing now." John winked and left Anna laughing in their bed.


End file.
